Volunteer
by cypressemily
Summary: What would have happened if Prim was the one to go into the 74th annual Hunger Games? What if she was the one who had volunteered for her sister? Would she make it through the arena? What about Peeta, Thresh, Rue, Cato, and the other tributes? This is my first story, and I hope you enjoy reading it!
1. Chapter 1

Role Reversal

Chapter 1

I wake up, screaming. My sister, Katniss is stroking my hair. "Shhhh. It was just a dream," she says softly, as she strokes my hair. "Go back to sleep."

"Can you sing first?" I ask softly. The dream about the Hunger Games is still clearly replaying in my mind. I was running through a huge patch of trees. Last year's victor was chasing me. He had a knife. He was catching up! And that's when I woke up, screaming.

"Sure, Prim," Katniss says softly. We start singing my favorite song together. Katniss taught me the song when I was only a little girl. I find it so comforting whenever I have a dream about neing reaped for the Games.

"I have to go now. To get breakfast," Katniss tells me. "Get some more sleep. I'll be back soon, in time to help you get ready." She gives me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek before leaving.

I turn over in the bed I share with Katniss. I can't go back to sleep. Not knowing I might have another nightmare. Instead, I watch my cat, Buttercup, lazily licking her paw. As silly as it sounds, I sometimes wish I was a cat. Cats don't have to worry about being reaped for the Hunger Games. All they have to worry about is whether or not they can sneak up on a mouse without being seen.

I stare at Buttercup for what seems like hours. I don't want to wake my mother up, because she is always in a catatonic state on Reaping Day. After losing her husband, my daddy, she went inro a catatonic state. She isn't like that all the time anymore, but she still slips back into it sometimes. Especially on Reaping Day, when she has a chance of losing one of her children. If I wake her up nowm she'll start thinking about the upconing event.

I lie there in bed, waiting for Katniss to return. When I hear the door open, I quietly climb out of bed to greet her. In her arms, she holds two rabbits, some bread, a bag that I know contains money, and something else.

"What's that?" I ask as I walk over to her. In her outstretched hand, she holds a small pin. It has a bird that I recognize as a mockingjay across the center of the pin.

"For you. To keep you safe," she says to me. "Come on now, I'll help you get ready." We walk into the bedroom. My mother is sitting on her bed, brushing her hair. "Oh. Good morning, girls," she says in a soft, nervous voice.

"Good morning, Mother," my sister says. "I have breakfast that I'll go cook now. After breakfast, I'll help Prim get ready."

A little while later, my family is seated, eating a silent breakfast. We all are thinking of the same thing-the reaping. When breakfast is over, Katniss offers to help me get ready. We go into the bedroom, where my mother has laid out our clothing for the day. Katniss has a pretty blue dress, and mine is white.

"Come here, Prim. I'll do the buttons on your dress," Katniss says. "I'll do your hair too." I sit in an old, wooden chair while Katniss puts my hair into two braids. The whole time, I'm shaking, and I can feel Katniss shaking too. I can't be picked. I just can't. I wouldn't have the ability to survive.

A few minutes later, I'm dressed, and so is Katniss. Mother walks into the bedroom. "You girls look beautiful," she saus, as she softly strokes my hair. "Come on now. It's time to go."

We walk silently to the town square. I grab Katniss' hand, and she gives me a hug. "It's ok, Prim. Your name's only in there once. You won't get picked."

"But what if I do?" I ask. "Then what? You know I won't survive? I'm not good with weapons like you." "If you get picked, which _won't_ happen, then I'll take your place," my sister says. "So you have nothing to worry about."

We make it to the town square. My mother goes to stand with the other parents, while Katniss and I head over to check in. I gasp when I see that the Peacekeepers are doing finger pricks. I stop moving forward.

"No..." I whimper. "Prim, look at me. It's all right. It's only a finger prick. They're doing it so they can know who you are." Katniss says to me. "Now go on. I'll meet you at the end of the line."

I move through the line, endure the (painful) finger prick, and meet up with Katniss. A few minutes later, everyone is checked in, and the District 12 sponser from the Capitol, Effie Trinket, climbs up onto the makeshift stage set up outside the Justice Building.

"Welcome, District 12!" Effie says cheerfully. I can't get past her ridiculous pink ensemble. A pink dress, pink shoes, pink accessories, pink hair, and even pink-tinted skin make her look clueless and innocent, although she's the one who draws to see who is going to die.

She introduces herself, plays a video on Panem's history, and talks about how today is a big, big day. I don't listen for two reasons. One, we hear this every year. I could recite it in my sleep. And two, I'm worried. This is my first year I have a chance of going in. I'm twelve this year, and tributes have to be between 12 and 18. I'm so scared. If I'm picked, I'll never survive. Katniss would volunteer for me. But I couldn't let her do that. She's good with weapons, but she's not as good as the Careers.

I gasp. She's drawing. She's drawing for the female tributw. I close my eyes, praying it won't be me. With all the worrying about being picked, I _never_ Expect to hear the name that is announced next.

Effie picks a slip from the round glass ball, unfolds it, and reads aloud,

"Katniss Everdeen!"


	2. Chapter 2

_ Katniss._ Her name is the only thing I can hear in my mind. _Not her. Anyone but Katniss._

Katniss can't leave District 12. I would miss her too much, and I can't provide for Mother. Mother...she'd become catatonic again. That could NOT happen. Gale needs her. His family needs her. Everyone she trades with at the Hob needs her. Peeta, the baker's son, needs her. He likes her-I can tell.

No, Katniss can not leave District 12.

And before I really know what I'm doing, I'm running towards the stage, yelling, "I volunteer as tribute!"

Every eye in District 12 is watching me. The crowd is deadly silent. I can even hear my mother gasp and whisper, "Primrose. Not Primrose."

Then I hear Katniss yelling. "No! She will not volunteer! I won't let her do that!" Then she turns to me. "Prim, sit down! I won't let you go!"

Effie is the one who speaks next. "I'm very sorry, Katniss, dear, but you have no control over volunteers. Once someone volunteers for you, you can't do anything about it." Her next words are addressed to me. "What's your name, dear?"

I answer her shakily. "Primrose Everdeen." She raises her eyebrows. "So, I bet you're Katniss' sister." I look over at Katniss. She is pale, crying, and she's clutching my arm. My heart breaks for her, but there's no way I'm letting her die in the Games. "Yes, she's my sister," I say softly to Effie.

"Well, that was very sweet of you to volunteer. May the odds be ever in your favor!" I stand there, stunned. I am going into the Games.

Everything else seems to happen in slow motion. Gale comes up and leads Katniss to a chair. My crying mother is taken away by her friend Jasmine. Effie announces that she is going to draw for the male tribute. And my friends from school watch me sadly, knowing that my life on earth will soon be over.

I can't watch the sad looks I receive without crying, so I turn to watch Effie in her ridiculous ensemble instead. She reaches into the glass ball that holds the boy names. I hope it's not Gale. The last thing Katniss needs is for it to be Gale. I hold my breath as Effie reaches into the ball.

"Peeta Mellark!" I sigh with relief as she reads the name. It's not Gale. But I really wish it wasn't Peeta. I know how much he likes Katniss. He watches her every day when we walk home from school. And being the baker's son, he won't survive he Games. Well, who are we kidding. No one from District 12 ever survives.

"Now shake hands, children," Effie says. I numbly shake hands with Peeta while Effie looks on beaming. There's no going back now. We are the District 12 tributes for the 74th annual Hunger Games.

A few minutes later, Peeta and I are ushered into the Justice Building by Peacekeepers. I go without complaining. I'm still in shock from my sudden volunteer outburst. Peeta and I are led to seperate small rooms inside the Justice Building.

"What am I in here for?" I ask a Peacekeeper. "Your family will visit you for a short time in here," he replies. "Then you will be taken to the Capitol." I breathe a big sigh of relief. I'll get to see my family again before I leave! I was so afraid I wouldn't be able to see them again on earth.

A minute later, Katniss and Mother burst into the room. Katniss runs over and gives me a big hug. "Listen, Prim," she says. "I know you haven't had much training with weapons. But I showed you how to use a bow and arrow a few times, and you showed promise. Just...try to stay alive. Make sure to get food and water in the arena. Form an alliance with someone who will help you." Her words come out quickly, all in one breath. I find that we're both crying as she speaks. "I'll try, Katniss," I say.

Then my mother comes up to me. "Prim..." she whispers quietly. She softly strokes my hair. Her words are few, but they say enouh. They say that she loves me and wants me to return. And I'll do my best.

Just then, Gale bursts into the room. He runs over to me. "Be careful, Prim. Stay away from the Careers." The Careers are the tributes from Districts 1, 2, and 4. They always form an alliance, they volunteer for the Games happily, and they are really, really good.

As soon as Gale finishes speaking, two Peacekeepers enter the room. "Ir's time to go," they say abruptly to my family and Gale. I manage to catch a sad smile from my sister as they are ushered away.

I sit silently in the little room for a minute. My family is gone. As much as they want to, they won't be able to help me in the arena. I think about who I will form an alliance with. Peeta, obviously. He's really nice, not likely to kill me, and strong from throwing around bags of flour. But who else can be in our alliance? The more people, the better.

A Peacekeeper walks in. "The train is here. Time to go," he says gruffly. I stand up and look around the room, to make sure I got everything. I collect my sweater, and the mockingjay pin Katniss gave me. It reminds me of my family. I decide to use it as my district token in the arena.

I leave the room escorted by the Peacekeeper. I walk as slowly as I dare, knowing that I won't make it out of the arena to come back here.

We walk all the way to the small, old train station. A big train from the Capitol is waiting for us. It's the nicest thing I've ever seen in District 12. The door slides open, and the Peacekeeper gestures inside. I take a deep breath and start up the stairs.

Here I go.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you so much to my reviewers! Yes, I know, only a few reviews so far, but that's a great start! Also, if you're a silent reader, don't be afraid to leave a review-I want to be able to improve my writing! Hope you like the chapter!**

I gasp as I enter the train. It's gorgeous! Everything is modern and updated. Then again, no one at the Capitol has ever seen anything that's not new. They really don't understand how the people of District 12 don't even have wagons, let alone cars.

"Lunch is almost ready. Go to your rooms to prepare for the meal," says the Peacekeeper. Hs gestures towards two doors on his left. Peeta enters one, and I go through the other. The room is modern and simple. It contains a bed, a dresser, a chair, a door to a closet, a door to a bathroom, and a window.

I sit down on the bed and run my hand over the smooth bedspread. Whatever it's made out of is soft and comfortable. I look at the small paper tag sticking out from the bottom of the bedspread. "Cashmere. Hand wash only," it said. I know we didn't have this "cashmere" back in District 12, but I sure wish we did.

My stomach growls, and I realize how hungry I am. I get up off the bed to prepare for lunch. First, I open the closet door to look for a new dress. I can't find any that are cashmere, but I do find a silk lavender dress that I like. I slip it on, not bothering to shower, since I bathed this morning. Next, I put on a pair of matching slip-on shoes. After I'm dressed, I rebraid my hair best I can, and for a finishing touch, clip on my mockingjay pin.

Just then, I hear a soft knock on my door. "Prim? Lunch is ready," says a soft voice. I put my old dress on the bed and open the door to find Peeta.

"OK," I reply. "Let's go eat." We walk into the dining room. As soon as I enter, I almost fall over. Effie and Haymitch wait for us in fine chairs at a huge wood table. And the food! The table is stacked with a large ham, potatoes, pasta, rolls, steamed vegetables, pastries, juice, and other unrecognizable treats. I've never seen so much food in my life!

"Hello, children," says Effie in her shrill, high-pitched voice. "You look hungry. Go ahead and eat, but be careful not to stuff yourself. Too much of the fine food can make you sick."

Stuff myself! I would never do that. Even though there is obviously enough food for everyone in the train to eat as much as they want, I'm not used to eating so much so freely. We just don't have that much food at home, even with Katniss hunting. I take a slice of ham, some vegetables, and a roll, along with a glass of orange juice.

"What's that?" I ask, pointing to a creamy pink food. "Why, that's ice cream, dear. Don't they have ice cream in District 12?" Effie asks me. I shake my head no. "Well, it's quite delicious. You should try some," she says. I take a small scoop.

We eat our meal in silence. Peeta and I are thinking about how delicious the food is, and trying to ignore thoughts about the Games. Haymitch _should_ be thinking about how to mentor us in the Games, but he probably isn't thinking about all too much right now, since he's obviously already drunk. And Effie isthinking about...well, whatever Effie thinks about, I guess. I spend the meal watching the sceneryvgo by ourside the big winow.

When the meal is over, I look at the clock on the wall. 3:07. Too early to go to bed, even though I'm tired. I'm about to excuse myself to go take a nap, when Peeta speaks up.

"So, Haymitch," he starts. "Do you have any advice for us on how to stay...you know...alive in the arena? Like, should we go into the bloodbath, or should we run for safety?"

"Just know this," Haymitch replies. "You are going to die, and nothing I can do will save you. No one from District 12 ever survives."

"You did!" I cut in. "You survived with twice as many tributes! And if you could do it, we can do it too. Now tell us. Who should we form an alliance with?" I'm pretty shocked by how confident I sound. I don't feel that way inside. Maybe I can pull off that "confident" thing in the arena, to get more sponsors.

"Well, aren't you an eager beaver," Haymitch says, chuckling. "All right, I'll help you. Form an alliance with each other, obviously. Peeta is strong, and Prim is good at healing." It's true. I have a lot of experience with medicine because my mother is a nurse, and I help her out a lot.

"Avoid the Careers," Haymitch continues. "They might be helpful at first, but when it comes down to it, they'll kill you. So stay away. And as for the other tributes...well, I guess we need to watch the reaping tapes to see who might make a good ally."

We get up from the table and walk into the train's living room area. Haymitch plops down on a couch in front of a huge flat screen. Peeta and I take seats next to him. Effie sits in a leather chair. An Avox comes in, turns on the tv, and starts the tapes.

It takes over an hour to watch all the reapings. From District 1, Marvel and Glimmer, two fierce-looking fighters. From District 2, Cato and Clove, who also look like strong fighters. In District 5, I see a young, pretty girl who reminds me of a fox. I mentally give her the nickmame of Foxface.

District 11, however, has the most memorable tributes. The male, Thresh, is strong, and handsome. He doesn't look like someone you want to mess with. The female, Rue, is about my age, thin, and pretty. She looks like she would be my friend back home.

When the tapes are finally over, I check the tv clock. I'm still tired, and hope it's time for bed. It's not. It's only 5:30. And besides, Haymitch announces that it's time to decide on our allies.

"Like I said, stick together, and avoid the Careers. I personally think you should team up with Thresh. He looks strong. And Juliana, she looks clever," says Haymitch.

"Who's Juliana?" I ask. "The girl from District 5," replies Haymitch. So that's her name-Juliana. In my mind, I think I'll still call her Foxface.

"So, it's settled, then," says Peeta. "Our alliance will be Juliana, Thresh, Prim, and I," says Peeta. "Well, it's good we got that settled. I think I'll go for a walk around the train."

Just as Peeta gets up to leave, I cut in. "Wait. I know someone else who we should have as an ally. Rue." Peeta, Haymitch, Effie, and even an Avox turn to look at me.

"But...why Rue?" asks Effie. "She doesn't look like someone who can survive long in the arena." It's true. Rue is small and could easily be overpowered by a Career. But something in her eyes...it just reminds me of myself. Rue probably feels like I do-scared. She probably won't join the Careers, and the tributes not in our alliance didn't look like they were particularly friendly or good at survival. Without an alliance, she would easily die.

"I just want her in the alliance, that's all," I say. I don't need to say any more than that. Peeta and Haymitch just nod, and Effie says, "Well...alright." And the Avox girl smiles at me.

"Ok," says Peeta. "Our alliance will be Juliana, Thresh, Rue, Prim, and I. And if Juliana wants, we can add the boy from her district. I think his name is Mateo. Now, I think I'll go for that walk." And with that, Peeta stands up and leaves the room.

I think I know why he's so eager to leave. Seeing the tapes of all 22 other tributes, especially the Careers, made him sick. It reminded him of what we'll be up against. It scares me, too, to see the other tributes. At least we'll be in an alliance with some other tributes, if they want to join us. That's that many less people I'll be afraid will kill me.

I excuse myself to ny room for a while. I take a short nap, then decide to go for a walk around the train. When I come back, I find a note on my bed. I pick it up to read it.

_Dear Prim,_

_ I just wanted to thank you for including Rue in your alliance. You see, before I became an Avox, I lived in District 11. One day I stole a basket of fruit, out of severe hunger, and I was caught. The head Peacekeeper of District 11 warned me that if I was caught stealing again, I would be severely punished._

_ A few days later, I stole a loaf of bread. Again, it was out of hunger. I thought I had gotten away with it when a Peacekeeper showed up. He said that I had been warned, now it was punishment time. I was taken to the Capitol to become an Avox. I remember my family's sad faces as the train took me away. My mother, my father...and my little sister, Rue._

_ So I just wanted to say thank you for including my sister in your alliamce. She may not be very good with weapons, but she can climb trees well. I hope you do well in the arena._

_ Love, Grania, your Avox server_

I put the letter down numbly. So the Avox girl who was smiling when I added Rue to the alliance was Grania, Rue's sister. Poor Grania. I knew just how it felt to have your sister be reaped for the Games. Only I was able to volunteer for my sister. Grania wasn't able to do that.

Just then, someone knocks on my door. "Prim? Dinner's ready. Come and eat," says Effie. I carefully fold up the letter and lie it on the dresser. Then I head out to eat dinner.

Dinner is a lot like lunch. There is a lot of fancy food, and we eat quietly. As soon as I'm done eating, I ask to be excused. We'll be arriving at the Capitol in the morning, and there's something I need to do first. I quickly dash off to find Grania.

I find her in Peeta's room, organizing his dresser. "Grania," I begin. "I got your letter. I promise we'll do whatever we can to keep Rue alive in the arena. I was also wondering if you wanted me to give her a letter from you."

Grania smiles and holds out a letter. On the front, in fancy script it says "From your sister". I smile at Grania. "I promise I'll give it to her." And then, on impulse, I run up and hug her. She's shocked for a second before hugging me back. She can't speak, but I just know she wants to tell me, "Thanks. For everything."

A while later, I'm in my room, freshly showered (after I had to call Effie in to tell me how to work the shower), wearing pink silk pajamas, and sitting in my cashmere-covered bed. I lie down and clap my hands to turn off the lights. I fall asleep quickly. It's going to be a long day tomorrow, and I could really use sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you to all of you who have read my story! Again, if you're a silent reader, please leave a review to tell me what you think! Sorry this took so long to post, I had a busy week.**

**Chapter 4**

I wake up early the next morning. No one else seems to be awake yet. Quietly, I climb out of bed and dress in a simple white dress I find in the closet. I grab my mockingjay pin, slip into casual shoes, and brush my hair. Then I leave the little bedroom behind.

I don't really feel like eating breakfast with everyone later, so I grab an apple from a bowl and go for a walk. Looking out a window, I see that we're in the mountains. We must be nearing the Capitol.

"Couldn't sleep?" A voice comes from behind me, and I spin around to see that it's Peeta. Wow. He really is cute, with that blond hair and the trusting eyes. I really wish he had dated Katniss back in District 12. Now it would be too late.

"No, I couldn't," I reply. "I think we're nearing the Capitol. Probably only another 2 or 3 hours." Peeta nods in agreement.

Peeta and I watch the scenery speed by for what seems like hours. I make Peeta eat an orange, even though he says he isn't hungry. About an hour later, everyone is awake, and the train is hectic with people eating breakfast, straightening up, and preparing for our arrival at the Capitol.

"Children!" Effie calls sharply to us. "Are you all ready? Good! Today is a big, big, big day! We're about 3 miles away from the Capitol. Go stand at the window and wave as we enter!" Peeta and I move to stand by the nearest window.

With the Capitol's fancy train, we arrive at the station in under a minute. Peeta and I wave and smile at the Capitol citizens as the train stops. I know we're just waving to get sponsors in the arena, but it still doesn't feel right. Then, I'm escorted off the train. Before I get off, though, I manage to wave and mouth, "Goodbye" to Grania. I may never see her again, and the thought makes me want to cry. I only knew her for 2 days, but she seemed like she would have made a good friend.

Next thing I know, Effie's directing Peeta and I into a large, fancy building. I gasp as we enter. Large marble columns hold up the walls. Larger than life statues of all 73 previous victors line the room. I wonder who will get a statue this year.

"This is the Preparation Room," Effie says. "Prim, your stylist is Cinna, and Peeta, your stylist is Portia. But before you see them, we have to get you two to what rhe stylists call, 'Beauty Base Zero'. Go with your prep teams." Effie directs me to one group of people, and Peeta to another.

The next few hours are torture. My prep team completely undresses me. Then they wax my legs, arms, and eyebrows. They comb, trim, and flat iron my hair. They fike my nails short, buff them, and coat them in a clear polish. Finally, they decide that I'm ready to see Cinna. They drsss me in a paper robe, put me in my own little room, and leave.

A minute passes before the door opens and a handsome man walks in. You can tell he's from the Capitol, but he's dressed simply in all black, has short black hair, and his only makeup is a thin line of gold eyeliner. I just hope he isn't one of those stylists who thinks nudity is all the rage.

"Hi, I'm Cinna. You must be Primrose," he says in his soft voice. I decide right away that I like him.

"Yes, but everyone calls me Prim," I say. He smiles.

"Well then, Prim, I hope you like the dress I designed for you. He hands me a large dress bag and a small box. "Here, try this on."

First, I open the box. I find that it contains undergarments. Relieved, I slip them on. I felt so...exposed without underwear. I then open the dress bag, I'm a little bit disappointed to see that the outfit is only a simple black long-sleeved shirt with matching pants. Oh well. I slip the outfit on and turn to Cinna expectantly.

"That looks great, Prim," he says. "Here, put on these boots." Cinna hands me a pair of simple black boots, and I slip them on. "Great," he says. "Now for the hair. Prim, do you remember what your sister's hair looked like at the Reaping?" I nod.

"Ok, that's how I'm going to do your hair," he says. "I think I've watched the tape of the Reaping enough times to memorize the hairstyle." Cinna seats me in a chair and gets to work on my hairdo. When he's done, I realize that he's managed to copy Katniss' hairstyle perfectly. I have to admit, it looks beautiful.

Cinna puts makeup on me, and I turn to look at myself in the mirror. The outfit looks good, but too...simple. I sigh, realizing District 12 will have boring outfits as always.

"That looks great, Prim. But I'm not done yet." Cinna picks up a metal stick-shaped object, dips it in an oil, and sets it on fire! "This is synthetic, don't worry. I'm going to use it to make the outfit look really special. Now don't be scared. It can't hurt you."

Obviously, I'm nervous about someone setting my clothes on fire. But I know it's only synthetic, and I trust Cinna, so I just take a deep breath and nod. Cinna gently applies the fire to my outfit using the stick. Meanwhile, I close my eyes and hold my breath, praying that I won't get hurt.

When Cinna is done, I turn to look at myself in the mirror. Wow...it's stunning. Much better thqn it was when it wasn't on fire.

The door opens and Portia rushes in, accompanied by Peeta, who's wearing the same outfit as I am. "Come on," she says. "It's time for the parade to begin!" We leave the small room, go down a maze of hallways, and stop when we reach a large room where the chariots are waiting for the tributes.

Peeta and I climb into our chariot and turn to look at Cinna and Portia. "You'll do great," says Cinna reassuringly. "Just hold on tight, smile at the audience, and look proud to be here." I swallow and nod, promising myself to try my best.

Then, our chariot lurches forward, and we are brought out into the parade. The TV announcer is saying something, but I can't even hear it over the screams and cheers of the crowd. I plaster on a fake smile and wave. Feeling more relaxed around the supportive audience, I loosen my death grip on the chariot. Just then, the chariot hits a small bump, and I am knocked off the chariot.

Peeta catches me and swings me back up onto the chariot just before I hit the ground. The audience, who gasped when I fell, cheers when they see I'm ok. I blush, feeling embarrased that I can't even hold on to a chariot without falling off. Oh well-everyone already knows I'm not the strong one.

The chariots reach the end of the parade, and are pulled into a half-circle, with District 12 on the far left. As the chariot stops moving, the fire on our outfits ceases. President Snow greets everyone, wishes us a happy Hunger Games, and exits his special stage. The chariots are then whisked into yet another room.

When the chariot stops, Peeta and I climb down. I see Effie and run over to her. "Effie, I'm so sorry," I blurt. "I didn't mean to. I was just not paying attention and-" Effie cut me off.

"Sorry? Prim, dear, don't be sorry. This is good! This makes Peeta look big and strong. Now we just have to find a way to show everyone that you're good with medicine and healing." Effie wanders off, muttering to herself, thinking about how best to present me to the world.

Peeta and I are ushered into a large glass elevator that will take us to the District 12 apartment. As the elevator rises up, higher and higher, I breathe in and out deeply. The parade is over. One part of the Hunger Games that is out of the way. Next is the training-that will be harder. When training is over, I show what I can do to the judges, and get a score between 1-12 based on how well I did. Then come the interviews. The next morning, we're sent into the arena.

The elevator stops, and the doors slide open. I step out into the well-furnished apartment, ready to start Part 2 of the Hunger Games-training.

**Chapter 4! I hope you liked it. I will be updating with Chapter 5 later this week. I'm also working on another story, so check that out sometime!**


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry I've taken so long to update! I've been so busy!

I roll over in bed and sigh. This is probably the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in, but I can't fall asleep. I replay the day's events in my head to pass time.

The morning had been a blur, with all the preparing for the parade. And then there was my mortifying fall during the parade, of course. I'm still embarrassed by that. After the parade had been dinner in our new apartment, and then we discussed stragedy until we went to bed.

I think about what will be going on during the next few days. There will be training for the arena. On the day before we go into the arena, all the tributes will be judged for skill, on a scale of 1-12. This score is very important, as it helps obtain sponsors. That night, we will have a live TV interview with Ceaser Flickerman. And the following morning...we'll go into the arena. I try to block the terrible thought out of my head, and eventually fall into a restless sleep.

The next morning at breakfast, we talk about our alliance. "All right," Haymitch begins without so much as a good morning. "We decided that you two would be in an alliance with District 11 and District 5. That is, if they want to. District 12 isn't exactly famous for well-trained, strong tributes." Peeta and I nod in response.

"So how do we get them to be in an alliance with us?" Peeta asks. "Do you want us to ask them today?"

"Ask them today," Haymitch says. "But, listen, don't let anyone else know about the alliance. If they knew, they'd try to take out the stronger ones first. That would leave the weaker ones for easy prey." I shiver, knowing that I'm definitely one of the weaker ones.

"Ok," Peeta says. "We'll keep it secret. Any other advice?"

"Yeah," Haymitch responds. "Make friends with them before you ask them to be your allies. They'll be more likely to say yes that way. Oh, and don't let anyone see your strongest or weakest points unless they're in the alliance. Anyone not on your side will try to use that against you. Now, go downstairs, it's time for training. I'll be downstairs in a bit."

I wait until the elevator door closes safely behind us before telling Peeta, "Effie must be keeping the alcohol away from him. He's as sober as ever this morning." Peeta laughs in response.

"Good thing, too," he replies. "Wouldn't want advice on how to survive from someone who can't even stand on their own two feet." We're both laughing when the elevator doors slide open.

The training room is large, and is full of various stations to practice at. The tributes from a few other districts are already here. I recognize Glimmer from District 1, Cato and Clove from District 2, Juliana (who I call Foxface) and Mateo from District 5, and Thresh from District 11.

I glance over at Peeta. "What station are you going to practice at first?" There are multiple stations in the room, everything from weaponry to knot-tying.

"I'm going to practice with weapons," Peeta says. "I could use the experience. What about you?"

"Herbs," I reply immediately. If people are going to be hurt, they'll need medical care. Peeta and I smile at each other and head off to our seperate stations.

The station isn't very crowded when I arrive. Only one other person, Mateo from District 5, is there. He gives me a small smile as I approach the station. "I'm Mateo," he says. "You any good with medicine?"

"Well, I help my mother a lot, and she's a nurse. But I really need practice. What about you?"

"I'm not really any good with medicine. I thought I'd come and learn a little before the Games." Just then, the instructor approaches the station. He gives us a few basic instructions, and sits back to observe our work.

Our first task is to make a remedy for healing cuts. Ot's fairly simple, I've made it many times before. But Mateo seems to hae no idea at all what he is doing.

"Like this," I say, as I gently guide his hands to press the herbs. "You have to crush them gently, or they will get all over the place.

Wow. His hands are really soft and...warm. I glance up at his face. He's handsome, with tanned skin, thick black hair, and nice dark eyes. He appeaes to be a little older than me, maybe 13.

Mateo looks at me and smiles. I blush and quickly look away. Is this what it means to have a crush on a guy? I've never been very interested in boys. But something about Mateo...something's different.

"So," I say, trying to start a conversation. The other District 12 tribute, Peeta, and I, were wondering if you and Juliana would like to be in an alliance with us in the arena." I glance at him, hoping he'll say yes. I really want to have him with Peeta and I during the Games.

"I'll team up with you guys." Mateo answers. "I'll have to ask Juliana, but I'm surw she'll say yes, too. We've been really good friends as long as I can remember." My heart sinks a little, realizing there might be some kind of romance between Mateo and Foxface.

"Oh. Are you and her dating, or..." I trail off, realizing I've just been extremely obvious. I can feel my face turning bright red.

"Juliana and me? No, no. We're just friends. As for romance, I still haven't found the right girl." A shadow crosses his face. "And now that I'm in the Games, I don't know if I ever will."

Just then, the instructor cuts in on our conversation. "Back to work, you two." We quickly turn back to our remedies.

"So how did today go?" Effie asks in her shrill voice at dinner. Effie, Haymitch, Peeta, and I are seated around a wooden table piled high with platters of turkey, corn, apples, chocolate cake, peaches, salad, and lemon water.

"It went alright," Peeta begins. "I befriended the boy from 11, Tresh. He agreed to be in the alliance. He talked to Rue, and she also agreed."

"Good, good," Haymitch replies. "Prim?"

"Well, I befriended Mateo. He agreed to team up with us. I also talked to Foxf- I mean, Juliana. She took a little convincing, but she said yes."

"Great." Haymitch says. "Now you have your alliance. Remember the other stuff I told you, too." Then Haymitch wanders off, muttering something about finding some wine.

We finish our meal in relative silence. After dinner, I explore the apartment a little before heading off to my room. When I get to my room, I immediately head for the shower. The hot water feels so good on my skin. In District 12, we don't have hot running water.

When my shower is over, I wrap up in a comfortable robe and sit down on my bed. I lean back on the pillows and think about Mateo. I only met him today, but I already like him much more than any other boy I've ever met. I fall asleep easily.

The next two days of training go by quickly. I spend most of my time with Mateo and Rue, from District 11. Rue is really sweet, and would probably be one of my best friends back in District 12. On the morning of the second day of training, I remember the note.

"This is for you from your sister," I say as we head into the Training Center. I hand her the piece of paper, which I had carefully stored in my room.

Rue looks at the paper, then at me. "My-my sister? She's alright? What did the Capitol do to her?"

"They made her an Avox," I reply gently. Rue looks at me, shocked.

"Oh. Oh, no." A tear falls as she slowly sits to the ground. "Why did I ever let her steal that stupid food? It's all my fault. She didn't take the food for herself-it was to keep me fed." Rue buries her face in her arms.

"Rue, it's alright," I say, sitting down beside her. "She may not be able to talk, but she's still the same person she was before she was taken. Read her note."

Rue quickly reads the note and looks at me. "Thanks, Prim," she says shakily. "At least now I know that my sister is still alive." She gives me a weak smile before we head off for training.

By the time of our private judging, I've learned more about medicine, and I've learned how to shoot a bow and arrow fairly well. But I know I probably won't use any weapons in the arena. I'd never be able to forgive myself if I did.

During the three day period, I've grown closer to Mateo. We've talked about all sorts of things, from our families to our districts to our friends. I found out that Mateo has a mother, father, and an older sister. I've told him about my weird fear of frogs.

All the tributes wait in a small metal room on the afternoon of our private judging. Soon, it's Juliana's turn to perform. I smile at her and whisper, "Good luck," as she heads out of the room. We wait quietly while she shows her skills, hoping she's doing well.

In a few minutes, Mateo's name is called over the intercom. He stands up. As he begins to head out the door, I do something I would have never expected myself to do-I grab his hand and squeeze it. "Good luck," I whisper. I immediately blush. Why did I do that? Mateo will hate me now...

But to my surprise, Mateo grins at me and squeezes my hand back.

**I'll try to put up Chapter 6 this week...probably.**


	6. Chapter 6

I lie in bed, replaying the previous day's events in my head. Apparantly this is a new hobby of mine. I think about how I scored a 7 in performance, which is much better than I'd expected. All I'd done was make some medicines and shoot a few arrows fairly well.

I think about how Rue and I have become best friends almost immediately, ever since the second day of training when I first talked to her. Since then, we've spent a lot of our training time together.

I think about Mateo, my first crush, and how he squeezed my hand for a quick moment before his performance session, where he scored an 8. Since the performance sessions, I've been a little shy to talk to him.

I think about how the upcoming day will be our last day before going into the arena. The morning will be spent in training for the afternoon, when the tributes will head to interviews with Ceaser Flickerman, a Capitol TV host. I roll over in bed, attempting to get a few more hours of sleep before the upcoming day.

"Pass the rolls, please," Haymitch says at breakfast. I silently hand the basket of rolls to him. Breakfast is fairly quiet, since everyone is preoccupied with thought. I'm thinking about the interviews tonight.

"So, what should Prim and I do at the interviews tonight?" Peeta asks, voicing my own thoughts.

"Well, that's what we'll discuss during training this morning. You will each spend half your morning working with Effie on presentation, and ths other half working with me on content." Lovely. I adore spending time with Haymitch.

"Peeta, you'll be with me first, and Prim will be with Effie. Then, you'll rotate."

I spend the first half of my morning running around in fluffy dresses and kitten heels. As silky and soft as the dresses are, it's not very fun to walk around in them when you're used to the simple, comfortable clothing of District 12. I'm actually relieved when I find out it's time to practice with Haymitch.

"All right, sweetheart, here's your approach for the interviews. You will show the audience that you are sweet. But don't get all soft and sappy. You don't want them to think you're weak, not if you're trying to get sponsors. Show them how sweet you are, but convince them that you can survive the arena."

"I'll try," I respond to Haymitch. We spend the rest of the morning practing interview content. Then it's time to ship me off to Cinna to prepare for my interview.

"OK, Haymitch told me we're going to show you to the audience as a sweet survivor. So I think this might be the perfect dress for you." Cinna picks up a heavy dress bag and hands it to me. He helps me slip the bag off of the dress, and I gasp when I see it.

The dress is floor length, made of pale blue silk. It's covered in sapphire blue gems that I'm pretty sure are real. The dress is a mermaid-style with thin straps. It shows sweetness and ferocity.

"Cinna...thank you." I give Cinna a big hug before slipping out of my clothes and into my dress. Cinna hands me a pair of pale blue sandals with low heels. I put on diamond earrings and a matching necklace. My stylists come in and spend the next hour curling my hair into loose ringlets and pulling the sides back into a sparkly clip. Finally, I'm ready to go.

"Ok, I have one more thing for you. People have started to refer to you as 'Prim Everdeen, the girl with a spark'. So, we're adding a spark to your outfit."

I look up at Cinna. "More fire?" I ask. I know it won't hurt me, but it still creeps me out.

"When you twirl, the bottom of your dress appears to turn into blue flames. So be sure to twirl during the interviews at some point."

Cinna and I head over to meet up with Peeta and Portia. Peeta looks handsome in a simple suit. I don't think his is going to be lit on fire, though.

We settle down on a large, comfortable couch with Effie and Haymitch to watch the interviews.

From District 1, Marvel and Glimmer show off their looks and spend most of the interview time bragging about how they know they will win.

District 2 has Cato and Clove, who brag about their skill with weapons and their confidence.

Soon, it's Foxface's turn to be interviewed. She reminds Ceaser that she has a good shot at winning, because she's clever, and she scored a 9 in training.

Next up is Mateo. He tells Ceaser how he's confident in his skill with a knife and uis 8 in training. What Ceaser doesn't know is that Mateo, like me, desperately hopes he won't have to kill anyone in the arena.

Rue gets to be interviewed soon. She tells Ceaser that she thinks she could win because she's hard to catch. "If they can't catch me, they can't kill me." I really hope nobody catches her.

Thresh goes next. He doesn't say much. He's very serious in characte, and I'm glad he's on our side.

Next up, it's my turn. I'm nervous ahout being on the stage, about all the cameras trained on me. But I squeeze Peeta's hand, he whispers, "Good luck," and I head out onstage.

The Capitol citizens in the audience are clapping for me as I head over to the designated chair for the tributes.

"Primrose Everdeen. The girl with the spark!" Ceaser announces happily as I take my seat. I give a smile and a wave to the audience, doing the best I can to hide my nervousness.

"So, Primrose. What did you think about being on fire?" Ceaser asks, starting right in to the interview.

"Well, it looked really cool..." I begin. I realize this is a weak response, so I try to beef up the answer. "It kind of scared me at first, though...after all, how often do you tell someone they may set you on fire?" Ceaser, along with the audience, laughs.

"I certainly never have, and don't think I ever will." Ceaser gives me a big, toothy smile.

"In fact, I'm wearing fire right now. Want to see?" The audience screams in response, and I stand up and begin to twirl around. The bottom of my dress lights up with fierce blue flames, and the audience goes crazy. Ceaser cheers along with them until I stop, dizzy.

"Do it again!" Ceaser crys.

"I can't, I'm too dizzy!" I reply, laughing as I sink back into the chair.

Ceaser talks about the fire for another minute before changing the subject. "So, Prim, I understand the Capitol is nothing like District 12. What's impressed you most since you got here?"

_Sweet. I need to be sweet,_ I think. "The pets. They're so adorable!"

"Oh, they are. I have an adorable little terrier back home." Ceaser turns to the audience. Don't you just love animals?

We chat for a few more minutes before Ceaser starts to talk about my family. "I know that you volunteered to take your sister's place in the Games. What compelled you to do that?"

"Well," I begin. "I didn't want to see Katniss not make it out of the arena. I love her too much." The audience gives some sympathetic 'Awww's. "And don't count me out of the arena. I have a secret weapon that might surprise some of you."

"I wouldn't ever count you out." Ceaser replies sweetly. "Unfortunately, that's all the time we have for your interview. Let's hear it for Primrose!" The crowd cheers as I exit the stage.

Effie, Haymitch, and Peeta are waiting for me backstage. The stylists and prep teams have joined rhe audience.

"Great job," Peeta says as he he heads onstage for his interview.

"You did amazing!" cries Effie, hugging me.

"Good job, sweetheart," from Haymitch.

We settle back down onto our couch to watch Peeta's interview. He does great, talking about how great the Capitol is, and, on a more serious note, says he's trying to win for a special girl back in District 12.

"Who is she? How long have you been dating?" Ceaser asks excitedly.

"Well, we're not dating. I don't even think she knew I existed until the Reaping. And as for who she is...well...she's Prim's older sister."

The whole crowd starts chatting in excitement. I can't contain my happiness. Katniss and Peeta! Oh, they'd be perfect together! Those of us backstage chat excitedly about it.

Soon the interview is over, and Ceaser signs out. We congratulate Peeta as we head back to our apartment above the Training Center. By tje time we get there, dinner is laid out on the table.

We eat a silent meal, the excitement of the interviews gone. We're all thinking about the same thing-the Games in the morning.

I go to bed soon after dinner, wanting to get plenty of sleep before the morning comes. However, sleep doesn't come, and I end up spending most of the night pacing my room, breathing quickly, heart pounding.

Effie comes to wake us up early at 6:00 in the morning. I'm hungry and tired, so I grab a roll and a glass of orange juice and try to take a quick nap before it's time to leave the apartment.

Peeta and I are led to a hovercraft on the roof of the Training Center. Effie, Haymitch, and our prep teams come with us to see us off. I say goodbye to Effie and Haymitch. Although they can both be irritating, I think they have our best interests at heart. I quickly say goodbye to my prep team before being led onto the hovercraft.

A rush of cool air hits me as I step in. A Capitol attendant approaches me with a syringe. Panic rises inside of me. No one said anything about shots!

"This is just your tracker for the arena," the woman says. I want to shake my head and cry, but I don't want the other tributes to see me do that, so I bravely hold out my arm and focus on Rue, who's giving me a sympathetic smile. Somehow I don't think she enjoys needles either.

A moment later the hard tracker is under my skin (ow!) and I sit in one of the 24 hard metal seats in the hovercraft. I'm the last to board, and as soon as I sit down, the door closes and the hovercraft takes to the sky.

We travel for a few hours before the windows black out, meaning we're drawing close to the arena. Panic starts to rise again, but I push it away and focus instead on talking quietly with Rue and Mateo. Soon, the hovercraft lands on an underground landing pad, and the tributes are directed out into their own small white rooms.

Cinna waits for me in my little room. We don't talk much as he helps me dress in my arena outfit, a simple shirt, pants, boots, socks, underwear, and a jacket. He braids my hair back, which reminds me of Katniss, and fastens my mockingjay pin on my jacket.

"Want anything to eat or drink?" Cinna asks. I accept a few crackers and a glass of water. I nervously nibble on the food until a female voice announces on the intercom, "Tributes, please step onto your rising plates." Cinna walks with me over to mine, and I climb up on it. That's when I break down.

"Cinna!" I gasp. "I can't do this! Cinna!"

"Shhh, shhhh. You'll be fine. Remember what Haymitch said. Don't go into the bloodbath at the Cornicopia. Find safety in the woods, and get water. You can do this." A round glass wall starts to alowly lower around me when Cinna says, "I'm not allowed to bet, but if I could, my bet would be on you." He kisses my forehead gently.

Cinna gives me a warm smile as the wall finishes lowering around me. I try to give him one back as the plate starts to rise into the arena.

The tributes are required to stand on their plates for 60 seconds before the Games begin. If you step off too early, land mines around the plates blow up. I stand in the grassy arena, observing my surroundings as I wait for the countdown to finish.

There is a forest behind me and on my left. A lake is to my right, and a large field is on the other side of the Cornicopia. Obviously, the woods are the best option for shelter.

I look at the Cornicoupia pickings. The best stuff is in the mouth, but no way am I going over there. Near my feet, there is a thin blanket and a small loaf of bread. I decide those will have to do.

The timer, counting backwards from 60, is at 17. I frantically glance around at the other members of my alliance. We all agreed ahead of time to meet up somewhere safe. Thresh is the only one willing to risk the Cornicopia.

Rue is on my left, and Peeta is on my right. Rue makes a slight head nod to the woods behind me, and Peeta and I give discreet nods. Peeta nods at Foxface and Mateo, points to the woods, and they nod. I look over at Thresh, and he nods. He'll meet us there after he risks the Cornicopia.

The timer is getting closer and closer to 0.

5.

4.

3.

2.

1.

0.

I step off my plate, scoop up the bread and blanket, and turn towards the woods. I start to run.

**Sorry for the long chapter! I'll write 7 later this week. Thanks to all my reviewers! You guys are so nice!**


	7. Chapter 7

I have to find them. It's the only thing I can think as I enter the woods with my hastily grabbed supplies. I don't stop running, but I look frantically to my left and right as I go. All of a sudden, I feel myself run into someone.  
I barely supress a scream as I turn to see who I've hit. Then I breath a sigh of relief. "Juliana! You scared me to death!" I whisper.  
"Shhhh," she replies. "We have to find the others." We jog quietly through the forest for about a mile before Foxface grabs my arm and motions to her right. "Can you see who it is?" she whispers through gritted teeth.  
I look to where she is pointing, and I notice someone moving through the trees. At first I wonder if it's a Career, but then I catch a glimpse of dark hair and a tall, strong body, and I know who it is. "Thresh!" I say softly as I approach. "And Rue!" For the first time, I notice that Rue is next to Thresh. "Oh, I'm so glad we found you!" I say as Rue gives me a hug.  
"I didn't get much at the Cornicoupia," Thresh says. "I got two knives, a bow and arrows, a loaf of bread, a first aid kit, and a backpack. Then I had to get out of there because the District 2 boy started throwing swords at me."  
We walk for a few more miles before we come across Peeta. Foxface starrs to walk over to him, but stops short. "Mateo!" she gasps.  
I look to see what's going on, and gasp when I see it. Peeta is carrying a bloddy, bruised, Mateo on his back. Foxface and I race over as Peeta gently deposits his passenger on the ground. That's when I go into full doctor mode.  
"Thresh, see if there's a blanket or something in the backpack. Also, he needs water." As Thresh digs in the backpack, I address Peeta. "What happened?"  
"He was running away from the Cornicopia when Clove hit him with a knife in the back. When he was down, the District 7 boy hit him with a huge rock. I scooped him up and got out of there."  
I flip Mateo over to assess the wounds. I gently slide his shirt up his back and swallow hard when I see where the rock hit him. In his lower back, a large gash squirts blood. "Thresh! I need that blanket!"  
"Here," Thresh says. He spreads out a thick sleeping bag. Peeta helps me move Mateo onto the fabric. "Alright. Rue, see if there's any bandages in the first aid kit. Do we have anything to kill the bacteria? Juliana, look for water in the backpack. Peeta, where did the rock hit him?"  
"On his side." Sure enough, a bruise is forming on his right side. I feel his ribs, but they're not broken. Rue comes over and hands me a bandage roll and an antibacterial wipe. Foxface hands me a water bottle.  
I wipe the cut with the antibacterial wipe and apply a bandage. "I think that's all we can do for the wound. We'd better make camp and wait for him to wake up."  
"I think there's a stream on our right," Thresh says. "Want me to head over there and get some water?" We could really use the water. The only water Foxface found was the small water bottle she gave me. And we're using that for Mateo.  
"Yeah, that would be good. But you'll need something to carry the water in.  
"I managed to grab this box at the Cornicoupia." Peeta holds out a metal box. "It had a sword in it, but it fell out as I was running.  
"It'll make a good water barrel. Thresh, take Juliana with you. She can act as a lookout."  
"Is it alright if someone else goes?" Juliana cuts in. "I really want to stay with Mateo."  
"Ok, then, Rue can go. The rest of us will set up camp." Thresh and Rue head to the stream, Peeta rearranges our supplies, and Foxface sits back down next to Mateo. I join her.  
"Is he going to be ok, Prim?" Foxface asks. "Because, you see...Mateo's more than a friend to me. I've had a crush on him for years. But I don't know if he feels the same way.  
I supress a gasp at her words. Foxface likes Mateo? What? I think about how Mateo told me he didn't like Foxface 'that' way. But obviously, she feels differently...  
Focus, Prim, I tell myself firmly. You need to focus on helping Mateo get better.  
"So, what are you going to do for Mateo?" Foxface asks, breaking my train of thought.  
"Well, there's not much we can do for him until he wakes up. His cut wasn't infected or very deep. I think the rock was the thing that knocked him out. He'll probably wake up in a few minutes, and we can give him food and water."  
Sure enough, Mateo woke up just as Thresh and Rue returned with the water from the stream.  
"Hey, Mateo," I said gently, brushing his hair out of his eyes. "How are you feeling?"  
He looks around at his surroundings. "Well...my back hurts...and my side. Whag happened?"  
"Clove hit your lower back with a knife, and you got hit by a rock, too. It's a good thing Clove only got your lower back, so she didn't hit any...er...vital organs."  
Mateo blinks a few times. "Are we far away from the Cornicoupia?"  
"We're about 5 miles away. We'll need to move on, but not until you rest some more," Foxface replies. She gently strokes the side of his face, and, for some reason, I feel annoyance at her. I try to push it away.  
"Here, have some water." I help Mateo sip some of the water in the bottle. "You need to eat something. Here, have some of the bread." Seeing the bread makes me think of how much we need food. After Mateo eats, he starts to fall back asleep, and I take charge of the camp.  
"We're going to need more food. Anyone have any ideas?"  
"I can gather nuts and berries and things," Rue says.  
"Perfect. Take Peeta with you. Does anyone know how to hunt?" I get blank stares in response. "Ok, I guess not. Peeta and Rue, go ahead and search for food. Take some knives with you. Juliana, could you see if there's any iodine in the backpack? We need to disinfect the water from the stream. Threah, be on the lookout. I'll take care of Mateo.  
Everyone set out to do their tasks, and Mateo improved quickly. By the late afternoon, he felt better enough to move on.  
"Are you sure you're ok to do this?" I ask as I check his bandage.  
"I'm fine. But can we go slowly? I don't want to get worse.  
"Of course," I say. "But we have to get farther away from here before the Careers find us." We gather up our supplies and start walking further away from the Cornicoupia. It's so hot-about 100°F, I'd guess. We walk slowly through the blistering hot forest.  
We walk quietly for about half a mile before we hear rhe cannons that symbolize a tribute's death. The fighting at the Cornicoupia must have finally stopped.  
Boom. Boom. Boom. The cannons go off 9 times. Our little alliance stands quietly. "Nine gone," Peeta says softly. We stand there for another moment before we keep going.  
By the time we've gone another 3 miles or so, we're exhausted. We set up camp for the night and talk about dinner.  
"We really need to find a way to catch meat," Peeta says. "I practiced setting traps in the training center, but they weren't very good."  
"Set them anyway," Thresh replies. "Why not?" So Peeta makes a simple trap out of tree bark and some rope he finds in the backpack while Rue and I discuss starting a fire.  
"I think we should make a fire. The temperature's coming down fast, thanks to some Gamemaker. It's probably about 80 degrees now, and it's going down fast."  
"But what about the smoke?" Rue asks. "We don't want the Careers to see where we are."  
"Good point," I say. "I guess we'll just have to stick it out tonight. We can sleep in the trees, and use our belts as safeguards. I'm not very hungry or thirsty, but we need to get food into Mateo."  
"You like him, don't you?" Rue asks suddenly. "I've seen how you act around him. You have a crush on him," she says, smiling.  
"Well...ok, yeah, I do," I admit, blushing. "But I don't know if he likes me back. And Foxface likes him too (Rue agrees that Juliana does look like a fox, and we both call ber Foxface). I briefly describe the conversation between Foxface and me earlier in the day.  
"Well, if he doesn't like her back, than you have a chance!" Rue squeals.  
"But we couldn't be together. We can't both make it out of the arena." I slump down onto a tree stump and sigh. "I wish the Hunger Games never had to happen."  
"We all do," Rue replies.

Peeta manages to snare two squirrels in his traps. I help prepare them, and the six of us enjoy the juicy meat for dinner. Soon, we head up into neighboring trees to spend the night. I shiver as I climb up the rough, thick trunk of an oak tree. It's about 50 degrees outside now. Peeta helps Thresh up into the tree next to me, since he's too big to climb it himself, and then climbs his own tree. We sit quietly in our trees for an hour before the sky lights up.  
The Capitol anthem plays as the pictures of the dead tributes are projected into the sky from the bottom of a hovercraft. I can feel tears slipping down my face as the pictures flash. Their poor families...were the tributes Christian? I silently sob as I fall asleep, knowing the Games are terrible torture, and wondering what I can do to end them.


	8. Chapter 8

"Prim!" Rue whispers frantically. I open my eyes and turn to face her. It's getting light outside, and the weather is hot. "What is it?" I whisper back. I hope no one was hurt.  
"Do you hear that?" she replies. "That noise. It sounds like someone's coming." All of a sudden, her eyes widen, looking at something behind me.  
I quickly turn my head around and almost scream. Cato, Clove, Marvel, and Glimmer are heading our way! It looks like they're close-about a quarter mile away. And we're in plain sight in our trees.  
"Quick! We have to get out of here!" Rue says. I nod my head in agreement and turn to face Thresh in the tree next to me. "Wake up!" I whisper as loud as I dare. "The Careers are coming!" His eyes fly open and he jumps out of his tree, quite gracefully for such a big guy. I start to climb down my tree.  
A minute later, we're all on the ground. Peeta and Thresh are holding our supplies. "We've got to get out of here." Peeta says quietly. "This way." He turns towards a thick part of the forest and starts to run towards it. Thresh and Rue start to follow.  
"Wait!" Foxface whispers. "What about Mateo? He can't run!" Mateo stands in one spot, already looking out of breath. The climb down from his tree must have exhausted him. "I-I'm sorry-" he starts to say, but Thresh cuts him off.  
"I'll carry him," he says. "Juliana, you take this stuff," he adds as he dumps his pile of supplies into her arms. He scoops Mateo up onto his back and takes off running. Foxface and I follow.  
It feels like hours before we stop running. We stop near a huge rock by a pond. Thresh gently sets Mateo down on the ground. Peeta and Foxface dump their supplies in a small pile near the big rock. We sit down on the grass, panting heavily. That run exhausted us all. Rue digs our water bottle out of the backpack and passes it around. When it gets to me, I take a huge gulp of water, and sigh as it slides down my throat. It's warm and tastes kind of like disinfectant, but I don't care.  
"All right, we need some more food." Peeta says. "Juliana, can you use a bow?" She nods. "All right, then you take the bow and arrows. I'll take one of the knives, and we can go get food. The rest of you, set up camp. It's getting cold."  
Sure enough, the hot weather from this morning is gone, and it's now freezing cold. I remember it getting colder as we were running, but I didn't pay much attention to it then.  
Peeta and Foxface stand up, take their weapons, and walk off. I catch Foxface sneaking one more glance at Mateo before she leaves.  
Mateo! I almost forgot to check on him! I take the first aid kit out of the backpack and walk over to him. "How are you feeling?" I ask, smiling at him.  
"Better," he replies weakly, but I can tell it's not true. He looks much worse then he did before we left our trees this morning.  
"Can you turn over?" I ask him. He groans and flips over. I carefully lift up the back of his shirt and unwrap the bandages. Oh, no. No, no, no.  
The gash on his back is no longer bleeding, but the surrounding skin has turned a sickening green color. There's disgusting little bumps all over his lower back that are a gross purplish color. I see injuries every day, helping my mother, but I've never seen anything like this.  
"How is he?" asks Rue. I start to respond, but realize it wouldn't be a good idea to talk about Mateo's condition in front of him. I motion for Rue to follow me and walk a few yards away. "Not good," I whisper to her. "His back looks terrible. I think there was something on that knife Clove threw- probably some kind of poison. I don't think there's anything in the first aid kit that can help, and I wouldn't know how to use it even if there was. I've never seen anything like it."  
And that's when I break down crying. I sink down to the ground sobbing. I've tried to stay strong since the moment I volunteered for Katniss, but this is too much. Rue has become my best friend, and I really like Mateo, but we're all going to die in this stupid arena. I'll never see my mother or Katniss again, and I will never return to District 12. There's so much fear in this arena, and I feel like I will never escape it. It's just too much.  
Rue sits down next to me, patting my back, but I can't be comforted by anyone but Jesus. I know He loves me, but how can He let this happen? I sit on the ground and cry like a baby until something hits me in the head.  
Scared it's a knife or something, I open my eyes and scramble to my feet. But it's not a weapon of any kind. It's a little silver box attatched to a parachute. The box has a little "5" on it, and underneath that, a "12". Confused, I look at Rue. She looks just as confused as I do. "Looks like a sponsor gift," she says. "Open it."  
Cautiously, I pick up the gift. It opens as soon as I touch it. Inside there is a syringe and a slip of paper. My heart leaps when I see the medicine. I gran the slip of paper and unfold it. It says, "Prim-inject into Mateo's wound. -Haymitch and Jazerop"  
"Who's Jazerop?" I say aloud. "No clue," Rue replies. Oh, well. I can worry about that later. Right now, Mateo needs his medicine.  
I pick up the syringe and carry it over to Mateo. Back home, we don't usually have syringes because they're so expensive. Any time my mother gets some, she saves them for the most critical patients. I've only handled them once or twice, but they're fairly easy to use.  
"Hey, Mateo," I say with a cheerful tone. My mother always tells me that, no matter how severely sick a patient is, act like they're recovering well. If a patient knows how sick they are, they might be so worried they make themselves more sick. "I brought uou medicine," I continue." He makes a weak noise as a response. He hasn't moved since I talked to Rue. I can tell he's getting worse, so I quickly inject the syringe into his injury.  
"You should feel better soon," I tell him. "In the meantime, though, we need to get you to someplace warm." As I speak, the weather is getting colder. The Gamemakers must be behind it. "Thresh!" I call. "Have you set up shelter yet?"  
"Yeah," he replies. "There wasn't much in the backpack, but I found a tent kit." Sure enough, Thresh stands near a small tent big enough for only one or two people.  
"Great," I reply. "We'll move Mateo in there." I pack up the first aid kit and carry it over to the tent. Thresh picks Mateo up and puts him in the little structure. He zips up the front flap. "I'll check on you in a little bit, ok? Right now, I want you to sleep," I say to the shivering boy. "Ok," he mumbles in response.  
"Hey! We got some food!" Peeta's face calls behind me. I turn around. Peeta is holding a makeshift sack full of some kind of wild nuts and cranberries. Foxface is holding a dead rabbit and two dead squirrels.  
"Wow, you shot all that?" I say to Foxface. "You're like my sister. She's amazing with a bow and arrow." The sight of dead animals makes me feel a little sick, but I know we need the food, especially for Mateo.  
"Thanks," she replies. "We get meat in District 5, but it's usually tough and chewy. Sometimes small animals come into the district from the woods, and I try to shoot them for fresh game. I have four brothers and two sisters, so we need all the food we can get." She stops talking and frowns.  
"What's wrong?" I ask.  
"Well-you see-I used to have seven siblings instead of six. Up until last year, actually. I had an identical twin sister, Adriana. We were best friends. We knew all each other's secrets, fears, and favorite things. People often woukd mistake us for the other twin because we looked so alike. Last year's Reaping took place on our 13th birthday. We were both nervous. Our district sponsor, drew a name from that stupid little glass ball. I was so afraid it would be my name called. And sure enough, it was. I stood in one spot, frozen with fear. I couldn't believe it was actually me! And then, Adriana did something so loving, yet so dangerous. She-"  
"She volunteered for you," I cut her off. I know what it felt like to hear a loved one's name being called. When Effie called out Katniss' name, I knew that there was no way I was letting her go into the arena. I loved her too much to let that happen.  
Foxface nods. "I couldn't believe she was risking her life to take my place. I tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen. She marched right up onto that stage. I could see the fear in her eyes, but she was trying to look so brave. There was nothing I could do to stop her. She was killed on the third day in the arena. She was the ninth tribute left. I went into a period of severe depression after she died, because I felt like it was all my fault. My family and friends told me it wasn't, and I knew it wasn't, but I still felt so guilty and responsible. It took months before I was willing to forgive myself."  
By this point in the story, Foxface is crying. Despite the fact that I was upset with her just last night for liking Mateo, I feel incredibly sorry for her. I can't imagine what it would be like to lose your sister. Just picturing life without Katniss makes me want to cry.  
"That's why I trusted you enough to be in an alliance with you," she says. "I knew that if you were the kind of person who would volunteer to take your sister's place in the Games, you were the kind of person who I would want as not just an ally, but a friend."  
I feel incredibly touched by her last statement. A girl who had never even met me was willing to trust me just because I volunteered for Katniss. That really shows that people do pay attention to your actions, and I need to make sure I'm always making wise choices.  
"Thank you," I tell her. "I'm glad you're my friend too."

An hour later, I'm helping Rue cook some of the food that Peeta and Foxface caught for dinner. We're making a salad of nuts snd cranberries, and we're roasting the rabbit and one of the squirrels. Peeta refilled the sword box that we're using as a water storage container, so we have a good (interesting) meal. Thresh and Peeta are on guard duty, and Foxface is checking on Mateo.  
Foxface may be my friend now, but I still feel a little threatened by her. Why would Mateo choose me over her? He's two years older than me, but she's just his age. Plus, he's known her longer. I can't help but feel a little disappointed.  
Rue seems able to read my mind. "Why don't you go check on Mateo with Foxface?" she says. "After all, you're the one who knows how to use medicines. I'll finish making dinner." I nod and head over to the tent, but stop before I go in, because I hear voices inside.  
"I'm glad you're feeling better, Mateo," Foxface says. I start to smile at the fact he's feeling better, but stop myself when I hear her next statement. "Mateo, there's been something I've wanted to tell you all day. I'm just going to come right out and say it, because who knows how much longer we'll be alive." I bite my lip, hoping she's not going to say what I think she will.  
"I love you, Mateo," she continues. "I have for a while now. Every time I see you, my heart stops. I've never felt this way about anyone, and I think you're the boy for me. I hope you feel the same way." And then, without giving him a chance to respond, she leans down and kisses him on the lips. I can see them through the tent's little mesh window. I'm frozen in one place. What I feared is coming true.  
I feel like I'm about to pass out until I see that Mateo is not enjoying the kiss. In fact, he's squirming away from Foxface. "Juliana, I-I'm sorry," he says. "You're one of my best friends, and I love you very much, but not in a romantic way. I think that was really courageous of you to tell me, and I'm flattered, but I just want to be friends. I'm sorry, I feel terrible," he finishes.  
I'm feeling an odd mix of happiness and sympathy. I feel bad for Juliana, because she must be disappointed and embarrased, but at the same time, I'm excited that he doesn't like her back. I stand quietly outside the tent, waiting to see if they say anything else.  
"Oh! I-that's really ok," Foxface stammers. "I mean, it's no big deal. I-I'm sorry I kissed you. I-I shouldn't have done that." She stops talking and stands up. I quickly move around to the side of the tent just before she leaves it and jogs off into the woods.  
"What's wrong with her?" I hear Rue's voice behind me.  
"Well, Mateo just rejected her." I reply.  
"Oh my gosh! That's great! I mean, that's terrible for Foxface and everything, but that means she's not going to be competition for you!" Rue squeals.  
"It doesn't matter anyway," I respond. "None of us are going to get out of here alive. The Careers are-" Rue cuts me off.  
"Don't say that, Prim. It's not necessarily true. We-we can beat them, Thresh and Peeta are strong, and us girls are smart. As a team-we can beat them. Now go check on Mateo."  
"You're right. Thanks, Rue." I smile and turn towards the tent , unzip it, and climb inside. Mateo lies inside, his eyes filled with sadness. For right now, I decide to pretend that I don't know anything about what just happened with Foxface.  
"Hey! Are you feeling better?" I ask as I climb inside.  
"Yeah. Whatever was in that syringe really helped me. How did you get that, anyway?"  
"I got it in a parachute from my mentor, Haymitch, and someone named Jazerop. Any idea who he is?"  
"Jazerop? He's Juliana's and my sponsor. He won the 31st Hunger Games when he was 15 years old. His girlfriend was the female tribute that year. She died protecting him from a knife.  
"That's so sad, Mateo." I really feel for Jazerop, because I know what it's like to love someone in the arena with you.  
"He doesn't talk about it much," Mateo says. "But I know he thinks about her every day. He feels like it's all his fault."  
All his fault. I remember what Foxface told be about her sister, how she felt like Adriana's death was all her fault when it really wasn't. Life can be so unfair sometimes. I try to move on to a lighter subject.  
"So, Mateo, if you're feeling better, do you want some dinner?" I ask. "Rue and I-well, mostly Rue-made a salad of nuts and berries and cooked some of the meat the boys caught. I can get you some if you want."  
"That woud be good," he says with a smile. I smile back and leave the tent to get him dinner.  
All of a sudden, a sharp scream comes from the woods, and I hear Foxface yell, "Help!"

Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated in so long, I've been so busy! I hoped you all liked the chapter. I really try to use the feedback I get from your comments, so don't be afraid to tell me if there's something I can improve! Sorry if some of the words are spelled wrong, I'm typing on a computer that doesn't have spell check. I'll try to update soon!


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